I am a bad blogger you guys! I apologize for the delay in posts; sometimes life gets in the way of wedding planning (I know, crazy right?!). The wedding planning that we have been squeezing into our free time isn’t even fun. I’m talking guest list- ew!!

But enough of that. I am taking a quick break to give you some FUN info: five quick tips on scoring wedding deals! So, without further ado:

Tip 1: Use online sample sale websites. Don’t have time or energy to stalk sample sales at the mall? Yeah, me neither. But I love websites like Rue La La. This site sends out daily notices of sales, and they have even have periodic bridal sale events! I am NOT into spending a lot of money on clothes, and Rue La La has definitely saved me some cash. If you are interested in more sample sale websites, check HERE for a good listing. Three things to keep in mind: 1) these sites sometimes have strange return policies, so check that out before ordering. 2) even though they are cheap, they aren’t always the cheapest. A good idea is to always google the product you are thinking of buying before you commit, this gives you a good reference for the “street value” of the object. 3) Some of these websites have practical merchandise, and some run more towards couture fashion AND prices. For that reason I like Rue La La more than Gilt, but then, I’m not really a fashionista. 😉

My latest score from Rue La La

2. Subscribe to Social Coupon Sites.I cannot profess enough my love for local coupon sites like groupon, living social and yelp. For serious, these sites are AWESOME. The premise behind social coupons is that a large group of people has more buying power than an individual; groupon and other sites act as the middle man in these “volume purchase” transactions. I’ve made a bunch of wedding-related purchases recently via these sites: a hair salon gift certificate (perfect to touch up highlights before the wedding), a $40 gift certificate, that cost $20, to use at a local craft store, a $115 gift certificate to create a photo guest book (paid $70) and a month’s worth of yoga classes for $20 (bridal buff, here I come!).

3. Shop the Holiday Sales No matter when you are planning your wedding, holiday sales can come in handy. Planning a fall wedding with “rustic elegance” like us? Then after Halloween & Thanksgiving decor might introduce this flavor very nicely. Think that after-Christmas sales won’t work for your summer affair? Think again! Twinkle lights are ALWAYS appropriate. Valentine’s Day can bring some nice romantic touches and 4th of July? Sparkler parade!

Beautiful AND fun! Source: weddingbee

4. Craigslist, Weddingbee Classified – budget AND planet friendly! Being the environmental (and thrifty!) person I am, I love reuse. Why pay a premium for a new item when you can get the exact same thing for half the price?? Think about it. Someone is selling a lot of perfectly nice vases for $100 that you would pay $300 to get brand new from the store. Buy purchasing those vases secondhand, you are helping your wallet, the planet AND (not to get too new-agey on you…but) you are getting something that is infused with the positive energy of someone elses wedding. Awesome!

This hurricane vase from Amazon.com costs $40- I saw the exact same vase on weddingbee classifieds for $7!

5. Etsy.com + wedding = magic Etsy’s motto is “Buy, Sell and Live Handmade.” If you are looking for jewelry, a vintage lace garter, a return address stamp, wedding invitation design, purse to match your wedding dress…anything! It is all on etsy. There is even a seperate wedding category to browse and some super cool featueres like the alchemy lab where ” buyers can post requests for custom handmade items, and then sellers bid on the opportunity to make the goods” – how cool is that? I can’t wait to check it out and then share my results with you.

Mr.A was surprised when I im'ed him one day, asking if he liked autobots or decepticon better. Source: finkstudio on etsy

Ahh…shopping. Even for a ‘envirogeek’ like myself, shopping is a great break from reality. Do you have any tips for saving money or scoring unique items for your wedding??

As a bride to be with a September 18th 2011 date set I have been rocking some Autumnal Clearance sales and I bought my dress on Ebay. Not designer or anything but 896 or so at Davids Bridal and 500 on Ebay.